Bell ringer for locomotives



March 24, 1931. n D s, E |5 ET AL 1,797,825

BELL RINGER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Nov, 6, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 24, 1931. D, s. E| |5 ET AL 1,797,825

BELL .RINGER FOR LoCoMoTIvEs March 24, v1931. D s E| |5 ET AL 1,797,825

BELL RINGER FOR LocoMoTivEs Filed Nov. e, 1928 5 sneets-sheet 3 Ysection taken on Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DANIEL SAYER ELLIS, OF HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY, AND CHARLES JAMES ZUSY, 0F YONKERS, NELN YORK, ASSIGNORS TO ARDCO 'MANUFACTURING- COMPANY, 0F HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF BELL RINGER ron LocoMo'rivEs Application filed November The present invention relates to improvements in bell ringers for locomotives, and has for an object to provide an improved automatic bell ringer in which it will be impracticable to stall the bell or to permit the bell to swing so far as to wind up the bell rope.

Another object of the vinvention is to provide an improved automatic bell ringer for locomotives in which the ringing of the bell is had by the action of a pneumatic motor coupled to the air line and under the control of a valve in the cab of the engine, such pneumatic motor being so constructed and designed as to avoid the stalling of the bell by cracking the cab air valve, and to provide a compact, efficient motor for ringing the bell'at an expenditure of a minimum amount of air pressure.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto. Y l

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughvout the several views,

l Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a locomotive yboiler with the usual bell and the improved bell ringer coupled thereto.

yFigure 2 is a rear view of the bell motor and connections. Y f

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken through the motor 0n an enlarged scale with the parts in an initial position. t

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on theline 4--4 in Figure 8 and showing the piston in a subsequent position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal the line 5-5in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section similar to Figure4, but showing the piston and valve in a subsequent position.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section through the device showing the full right hand position of the piston and valve.

Figure 8 is a cross section taken on the line 8-8 in Figure 4, and

Figure 9 is also a cross section taken on the line 9-9 also in Figure 4.

6, 1928. Serial No. 317,546.

lReferring more particularly to the drawings 10 designates a locomotive boiler and 11 a usual form of locomotive bell having the hanger or yoke12 provided with the trunnions 13 `and 14 mounted in the bearings 15 and 16 at the upper ends of the bracket arms 17 and 18. The trunnion 13` is connected at the outer side of thebracket 17 with an arm 19adapted to receive a bell rope extending to the cab; while the oppositetrunnion 14, on the outside of the bracket arm `18 carries a crank 2O secured byk a set screw 21 .or otherwise to the trunnion 14. The crank pin 22 extends through a bearing sleeve 23 on the cap 24 which is screw-tlireaded upon the end of the connecting rod 25. A washer is secured over the .end of the pin 22 and a Cotter pin 27 is passed through the crank pin 22 to secure the washer and the sleeve 23 in place. A lock nut 28 is screwed on the threaded portion of the connecting rod 25 and up against the cap 24.

The connecting rod 25, as shown in Figure 3, terminates in a universal ball 29 mounted in a similarly formed socket 30 in a piston cap 31. The bolt 34 is employed to secure the piston rod 33 to the piston cap 31.

The cap 31 is adapted, in the position of the parts shown in Figure 3, to envelop the extension 35 of the cap or cylinder head 36 which is secured as by tliebolts 37 or other suitable means to one end of the casing or cylinder 38. A hollow cylindrical valve 39 is shown as fitted to reciprocate within the cylinder or casing 38, such valve having the piston rings 40 at suitable intervals to hold thecompression. A piston-41 carried by the piston rod 33 is adapted toreciprocate lwithin the hollow cylindrical valve 39. The closed end of the cylinder is provided with a boss 42 to arrest the movement of the valve 39 in one direction,`whereby to leave a slight space betweenv the cylinder end and the valve end; and in like manner a boss 43 is provided upon the inner closed wall of the cylindrical valve tolreceiv'e the piston 41 and to prevent the piston from closing entirely against said closed wall of the valve 39. A nut 44 is threaded into the opposite end of Vthe valve to retain the piston 41 in place.

An oil cup is mounted in the boss 46 in the upper portion of the cylinder or casing 38. The oil cup carries a. valve 47 normally h-eld closed by the action of a coil spring 48. In the lower portionof'the cylinder are inlet and exhaust ports 49 and '50 respectively. The port 49 is coupledto rthe air line-under control of a valve inthe engine cab; while the portV 50'may be open to the atmosphere.

`the cylindrical valve 39. As shown in Figures 5 and 8 the cylindrical valve v89 is also provided with atlongitudinal duct 56 opening through the rear end ofthe cylindrical valve and communicating with theinterior pistonspace of the "cylindrical valve through a port '57 which is located at aforward position where-it vwill be uncovered by the piston 41 only upon movement of the latter in the cxtreme forward position'within the cylindrical valve.

In the ope-ration of they device, the normal position of the parts lis shown in Figures `1 and B. This is the position of rest. vThen the cab valve is opened,air under pressure is admitted through the-port 49,2t-hrou-gh annular channel 51 which in this position communicates with the poit49, through the duct 54 and behind'the plunger or piston 41. The plunger' is driven bythe air pressure to the position shown in `Figures 4 and 5 and against the nut 44. l`heport'57 now uncovered by the plunger 41 and air is admitted Vhrough this port and the duct :S6-to the space in the cylinder 38 behind the floating valve A39 whereby to cause thc valve to move to the positioinshown in Figure 6.

lirthis position the air inlet port -49 no longer communicates with the annular channel' 51, so that the supply of air is cut olf. Moreover', in this position the annular channel53 is brought intoregistration with the exhaust port 50 thereby allowing all of the air between the piston and the-valve to be evacuated. vThe bell having been raised through approximately 100 per cent from its central position is -now` free to swing back and its downward movementl causes the piston 41` to push the floating-valve 39 back to the starting-position, after which the cycle lof operations is repeated for the other side,

.the bell having been carried over the dead center by the force of its swing. As the plunger 41 swings back to the left from-the position shown inFigures 5 andv 6, the air before it will have free egress through duct 54, channel 53 and exhaust port 50. Then plunger 4l moves to the left of the port 57, the space between the left cylinder head and floating valve is put into communication with the large space between the right cylinder head and valve through the duct 56, port 57, enlarged bore between plunger rod 3 3 and nut 'This will allow of a. transfer of the air from Atheleft end'rto the right end of the cylinder as the plunger v41 encounters `the valve and moves it from the position shown in Figure 5 to that illust-rated in .Figure 4. The confined air in the right end of the cylinder may find escape through duct 55, channel 52 and exhaustport 50 when the valve reaches the position indicated in Figure 4.

,Should the bell happen to acquire excessive swing, the piston will pull the loatingvalve 39 tothe position, shown in Figure 7, where the annular channel 52 will register with the inlet port 49permitting air from the supply vto act on the forward face of the float-ing valve 39, thereby retarding the swing and` inducing amotion inthe opposite direction. This air in the forward portion of the cylinder is exhaustedat the end of the downward or rear stroke through the port 50, as shown in Figure 3.

lVith the improved device, it is impossible to4 stall the bell by cracking the cabairvalve, because, as soon as the piston 4l uncovers .the port 57, the floating valve 39 moves to exhaust positionthereby releasing all pressure'beneath the piston so that the bell is free to swingback. y

Moreover, the bell cannot stall lip-sidedown,norfwind upithe bell rope, since the greatest stroke of the piston is less than twice u f andhaving'a closed end and an open end with a cylindrical Yside Wall, a nut to close the open end of the valve, saidnut having an enlarged Abore about the plunger rod for the passage of air, said side wall of the valve having three annular channels spaced from one another, f

and including an inlet channel andy two eX- haust channels, .said side Wall of the valve also having three angularly separated ducts, .one of said ducts communicating with the inlet channeland oneof the exhaust channels and also with the interior space of the valve at the closed end thereof, a second duct communicating with the other exhaust channel and with the space lying beyon-d the open end of the valve, a third duct opening through the closed end of the valve and having a port at the intermediate portion of the valve communicating with the interior space thereof and opened to opposite sides of the plunger during 10 its movement, and a cylinder for slidably receiving said valve having adjacent spaced inlet and exhaust ports. i

2. An improved locomotive bell ringer comprising, in combination With a bell, a cylinder 1f, having in its side Wall adjacent spaced inlet and exhaust ports, a hollow valve slidably mounted in said cylinder and having a closed and an open end, a plunger slidably mounted Within said hollow valve, a plunger rod con- 2o nected to said plunger and to the bell, means for closing the open end of the valve having a loose t about the plunger rod for the passage of air, said hollow valve having a plurality of annular channels extending thereabout in axially spaced relation, one of said channels being an inlet channel and adapted to communicate with the inlet port in one position of the valve, a second channel being an exhaust channel and adapted to communication With the exhaust port in one position of' the valve, a third channel being also an exhaust channel and adapted to communicate with the exhaust port when the inlet channel is out of register with said inlet port, said valve also having a plurality of longitudinally extending ducts, one of said ducts communicating with the first and third channels and with the interior space of the valve adjacent its closed end, a second duct communicating With the first exhaust 40 channel and opening through the end of the valve adjacent said enclosing means, a third duct opening through the closed end of the valve and having a port opening into the interior space of the valve at an intermediate port 15 and adapted to place the interior valve space in communication with the duct at opposite side of said plunger.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures. 50 DANIEL S. ELLIS.

CHARLES J. ZUSY.

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